345
EYTON—FAIRHOLME—FAIRLESS.
to the Royal George yacht. Attaining the rank of Commander 10 Jan. 1837, Capt. Eyres, in Nov. of the same year, commissioned the Modeste 18. In that vessel, after serving for some time under Lord John Hay on the north coast of Spain, he proceeded to North America, vrhere he was present at Mexico pending the dispute between that republic and the French government, and was sent to New York with despatches for the British Minister at Washington relative to the Maine boundary question. He appears to have been also very actively employed in the suppression of the slave-traffic in the Mozambique Channel. Joining, eventually, in the operations against the Chinese, Capt. Eyres ably assisted in the attack on Tycocktow, 7 Jan. 1841, and obtained the best thanks of Sir Gordon Bremer for his conduct at the capture of the island of Wangtong, 26 Feb.[1] The next day he afforded very efficacious support to an attack made by a squadron under Capt. Thos. Herbert on the enemy’s camp, fort, and ship Cambridge, bearing the Chinese Admiral’s flag, at their position below Whampoa Reach, where he landed, and contributed to the destruction in the whole of 98 guns.[2] On 13 March Capt. Eyres was likewise mentioned for his effective aid at the capture of the last fort protecting the approaches to Canton;[3] and, in the course of the same month and of the following May, he was reported for his gallantry at the first and second fall of that city.[4] After further serving at the capture of Amoy, Chusan, and Chinghae,[5] he returned to England, towards the close of 1841, with intelligence of the capture of Ningpo. He has since been unemployed. His Post-commission bears date 6 May, 1841.
Capt. Eyres, in acknowledgment of his services in China, was nominated a C.B. 14 Oct. 1841. He married, 26 April, 1838, Ellen Jane, daughter of the late Wm. Parker, Esq., of Dorset Square. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
EYTON. (Lieutenant, 1824. f-p., 15; h-p., 20.)
Thomas Eyton entered the Navy 22 Aug. 1812; obtained his commission 6 Dec. 1824; and was afterwards appointed – 1 Oct. 1829, as First-Lieutenant, to the Rapid 10, Capt. Chas. Henry Swinburne, on the Mediterranean station – and, 20 June, 1831, to the Britannia 120, commanded on particular service by Capts. Wm. Jas. Hope Johnstone and Peter Rainier. He has been on half-pay since 1833.
Lieut. Eyton is at present employed as Superintendent of the Marine Society’s ship. He married, 7 March, 1833, Sarah, second daughter of John Foster, Esq., of Enfield, co. Middlesex.
EYTON. (Lieutenant, 1814. f-p., 15; h-p., 27.)
William Wynne Eyton, born at Wrexham, co. Denbigh, is fourth son of the late Rev. Hope Wynne Eyton, of Leeswood, co. Flint, by Margaret, daughter of Robt. Wynne, Esq., of Tower, in the same shire.
This officer entered the Navy, 10 July, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Neptune 98, Capt. Thos. Eras. Fremantle, and on 21 Oct. following participated in the battle of Trafalgar. Removing next to the Seahorse of 42 guns and 251 men, Capt. John Stewart, he assisted, on the night of 5 July, 1808, in putting to flight the Turkish frigate Alis Fezan, of 26 guns and 230 men, and in capturing, after a memorably furious engagement, and a loss to the British of 5 killed and 10 wounded, her consort the Badere Zaffer, mounting 52 guns, with a complement of 543 men, of whom 170 were slain and 200 wounded. While in the Seahorse, Mr. Eyton also contributed, as Midshipman, to the reduction of the islands of Gianute and Pianosa. In the course of 1811 he joined in succession the Ville de Paris 110, and Rodney and Milford 74’s, bearing each the flag of Rear-Admiral T. F. Fremantle, under whom, in the Milford, we find him co-operating in the capture of Fiume and Trieste in July and Oct. 1813. Being confirmed in the rank of Lieatenant 29 July, 1814, he was appointed ultimately – 7 Jan. and 5 Oct. 1819, to the Rosario and Redpole sloops, commanded in the Channel by Capts. Wm. Hendry and Wm. Devereux Evance – 15 Sept. 1827, as First-Lieutenant, to the Wolf 18, Capt. Geo. Hayes, in the Mediterranean – and 17 Feb. 1829, 1 May, 1830, and 18 Feb. 1831, in a similar capacity, to the Victory 104, St. Vincent 120, and Asia 84, flag-ships at Portsmouth and off Lisbon of Admirals Sir Robt. Stopford, Sir Thos. Foley, and Wm. Parker. During his attachment to the St. Vincent, Mr. Eyton appears, in Nov. 1830, to have been appointed to the Lightning steamer, for the purpose of conveying Charles X. from Lulworth to Leith. He invalided from the Asia 16 June, 1832; and has not since been employed. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
F.
FAIRHOLME. (Lieut., 1842. f-p., 11; h-p., 2.)
James Walter Fairholme was born 10 Jan. 1821.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 March, 1834, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Gannet 16, Capt. John Balfour Maxwell, with whom, and with Commodore Sir John Strutt Peyton, of the Madagascar 46, he served on the West India station, part of the time as Midshipman, until despatched as second in command of a prize-slaver to the coast of Africa, where he was wrecked 7 April, 1838, and taken prisoner by the Moors. Being, however, rescued on the banks of the Senegal 16 days afterwards, while on his journey inland with the rest of his shipmates, by a party of French negroes under a government officer, Mr. Fairholme returned to England, and in Dec. 1839 joined the Ganges 84, Capt. Barrington Reynolds. After sharing in the bombardment of Beyrout and in the early operations of the Syrian war, he became attached, towards the close of 1840, to an expedition fitting for the exploration of the Niger, whither he sailed in 1841, as Mate, on board the Albert steamer, Capt. Henry Dundas Trotter. Having ascended that river as far as Egga, a distance of 350 miles from the sea, he returned to Cape Coast Castle in the month of Sept., and in March, 1842, he invalided home. Mr. Fairholme, who had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 of the previous Jan., has been since appointed in succession – 20 April, 1843, to the Excellent gunnery-ship, at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings – 14 Dec. 1844, to the Superb 80, Capt. Armar Lowry Corry, at Devonport – and, 13 March, 1845, to the Erebus discovery-ship, Capt. Sir John Franklin, now employed in an attempt to explore a north-west passage through Lancaster Sound and Bering Strait. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
FAIRLESS. (Retired Commander, 1843. f-p., 17; h-p., 32.)
George Fairless was born 26 May, 1782, at Crossgate, in the parish of St. Margaret’s, in the city of Durham.
This officer entered the Navy, 30 July, 1798, as L.M., on board the Prince Frederick 64, Capt. John Hall, on the Home station, where he continued to serve, the last two years in the Atlas 98, Capt. Theophilus Jones, until April, 1802. re-embarking, 5 Dec. 1803, as Master’s Mate, on board the Uranie 38, Capt. Hon. Chas. Herbert he sailed for the West Indies; after which he joined the Saturn 74, Capt. Lord Amelius Beauclerk, off Cadiz, and was promoted, 18 July, 1807, to a Lieutenancy in the Leyden 64, Capt. Wm. Cumberland. In Aug. of the latter year Mr. Faiiless attended the expedition to Copenhagen. He was subse-
